


Built For Revenge

by atomicnebula



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:53:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28101222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atomicnebula/pseuds/atomicnebula
Summary: Alright. So my friend Ly had suggested probably 2 years ago I write a mafia fic with Levi and Eren. I wrote 4 chapters and never posted it, I haven't touched it since Oct 2018 and I think it deserves to see the light
Relationships: Levi & Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Kindling

**Author's Note:**

> Alright. So my friend Ly had suggested probably 2 years ago I write a mafia fic with Levi and Eren. I wrote 4 chapters and never posted it, I haven't touched it since Oct 2018 and I think it deserves to see the light

**Chapter One: Kindling**

_ ty drań – you ‘little shit’ _ _  
_ _ mamusia – mommy  _ _  
_ _ Spierdalaj gówniarzu – fuck off  _ _  
_ _ chłopczyk – baby boy _ _  
_ _ dreckssack – dirty bastard _

  
**Levi**   
Never for a moment stop to think that you’re safe… because you’re not. Everything is under the control of the families. You don’t dare to cross any of them. They’d have your head and proudly display it, and no one would think twice.    
“Levi?”   
A light knock pulled me from the papers on my desk, my glasses riding low on the bridge of my nose. “Come in.”   
Isabelle’s curly red head popped in through my door, her voice soft. “Sorry to bother you but, uh…”   
“Go on,” I pushed.   
“There’s been another one.”

I tossed my glasses onto the desk. My voice rang loudly, “God  _ fucking _ dammit. Who?”   
“Moblit.”   
“Who did it?”   
“It seems to be Jaeger again.”   
“Jaeger, ty drań!” I tensed my jaw to keep the obscenities from continuing to fly out of my mouth. My hand only muffled my voice but I’m sure that Isabelle knew exactly what I had said.    
The first man I lost seemed to be a general rivalry, one of the younger boys crossed a line at the bar and ended up with a hit out on him. Poor kid. He had attitude problems and a big mouth, I consider him lucky he never spoke out of turn with me. Didn’t hurt the family any less. I accepted his death. However, it seemed that Jaeger wanted to play games.   
“Thank you, Isabelle.”    
“Levi?” She stepped closer to my desk.   
“Yes?”   
“How are we going to strike back?”   
I felt my heart warm in my chest, “you know me too well… yes, yes of course. Can you set up a meeting for me? I need Arlo and Farlan, actually Hanji too. I might make this personal.” My tongue grazed my teeth as the thoughts of getting my knife pressed right against Jaegers throat flashed, his life in the control of my hands.   
“Right away.” She slipped quietly back out the door.   
My fingers roughly combed through my hair and I reluctantly turned away from the work spread in front of me. That could wait. However, announcing the death of another member was not going to be easy.

  
***

  
“Levi, hello my love.” My mother, Kuchel, stood perfectly poised in the kitchen. Her long ebony hair flowed gracefully down her back, she was slowly being littered with grey strands but made no move to cover it. She was by far the most beautiful and equally terrifying being I have ever encountered. Fingers moved smoothly across the counter, raw potatoes at the mercy of the sharp knife she wielded.    
“Hello, mamusia.” I responded whimsically, wandering into the kitchen. “What are we up to this afternoon?” Without hesitation, I started to roll up the sleeves of my dress shirt. My hands dove into the hot dishwater and began scrubbing.    
She laid a soft smack from the back of her hand against my shoulder, “don’t clean up after me.”   
“Who’s going to stop me?”   
“Do not sass me, Levi Ackerman, I am holding a knife and you know damn well I could slit your throat from here.” She looked over at me and jokingly shook the knife. I bit back a smile. “I am cooking dinner for tonight, I thought roast sounded good.”   
“That sounds perfect,” I leaned and pressed a soft kiss against the crown of her head. The poor woman was as short as me, but we were both a force to be reckoned with. She taught me everything I know.   
“Why the long face?”   
I shook my head.   
“Levi. Do not lie to me.” Her voice was stern.   
I avoided her gaze, “I’m not lying mamusia.”   
She gripped my jaw and forced me to look at her. “Your eyes speak loudly what your mouth locks shut behind your teeth. You have your father’s eyes and I spent many hours staring into them. I know when something is wrong.”   
I sighed, letting my head fall into my mother’s hands. “We lost Moblit.”   
“Jaeger?” She spit. I nodded gently. “What is that the third one this month?!” She released me and slapped her hands on her hips. “So, what are we going to do about it?”   
I dropped a bowl back into the dishwater, “we? The reason I took over was so you could relax. You’re the one who taught me to never go back on my word.”   
Her tongue clicked, “what a smart boy you are. I’m not stepping in to help. You are more than capable to handle this yourself. However, I am still part of this family. Who did you call home?”   
“Arlo, Farlan, and Hanji.”   
“Wonderful, they will join us for dinner, yes?”   
“Who could say no to you?”   
  
It had been long since the sun had gone down, and the kitchen was brimming with wonderful smells. I could smell my mother’s cooking from inside my study. I glanced at the small digital clock on my desk.    
_ 9:17 PM _   
The others would be arriving soon, if they weren’t here already, and by the smell I assume that dinner was ready to be served. I once again turned from the paperwork. I stood and straightened my clothing. My hands smoothed my dark crimson shirt and retucked the ends back into my black slacks. I sighed heavily, preparing myself for the inevitable. This was more than my parents ever expected me to take on at such severity, give or take, but it was something I was going to handle strongly. For the sake of the family.   
Farlan and Arlo sat at the table, sipping at their glasses while Isabelle stood joyfully, leaning against the counter. Her silky curls pulled into a loose bun, high on her head. Hanji, surprisingly quiet, stood beside her. I caught the end of the conversation between her and my mother. “–I ended up punching the idiot in the face and got a high five from the bartender.”   
“Do I have to put a hit out on someone?” I announced my presence.   
Isabelle squealed, “Levi! Oh, you look so handsome. I’m so happy that shirt fits.” She bounced over and pinched my cheek.   
I lightly pushed her hand away, “Izzy not now. Thank you for the shirt though, I wish you were seeing it under better circumstances.” I gave her a quick hug and kissed her forehead.    
“Be nice to your sister, Levi.” My mother scolded, sounding like we were young kids again. We rolled our eyes.“Sit, please.”

Before I could make my way over to the table, “Levi,” Hanji caught my attention. They handed me a small crystal glass with a rich liquid, I knew it was whiskey.

“Thank you, but I don’t drink.”

They shook their head, “for Moblit.”

My heart felt heavy and I eyed the glass. I took the glass from their grasp and let my other hand rub a soft circle on their shoulder blade. “For Moblit.”   
I took my place at the head of the table and waited for them to settle before clearing my throat. “Before we eat, you all know I don’t call you home for no reason. While my mother’s food is always a reason to come together. There’s a problem that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, we have lost Moblit. That comes with a heavy heart.” I raised my glass and the others followed, “to Moblit… I will not let another death in this family without consequence. Jaeger needs to be dealt with, and dealt with immediately–”   
There was a loud clatter that caught all of our attention. Our breaths halted to a still. I stood from my chair slowly, a hand quickly pulling out my butterfly knife. Farlan and Arlo drew their pistols, aimed and ready. I put a gentle hand on my mother’s shoulder as I passed silently by her, a plea to stay. “Hanji, stay here with my mother, Isabelle you too, please.” She nodded silently and came to stand at her side, a pistol in her grip. I signaled for Farlan and Arlo to follow behind me. A loud thump onto the hardwood floor made me move faster. I turned the corner into the foyer to find Erwin sitting with his back against the front door. He was wrapping his belt on his upper thigh. His hands covered in blood, more than likely his own. I rushed over and dropped to my knees, taking his belt into my own hands. I didn’t even need to ask who had attacked him, no one would dare come this close to my home except for Jaeger.   
“How many?”   
Erwin hissed as I fastened the belt, “I’m not sure.”   
“Did you recognize any of them?” I kept my voice calm.   
“Arlert, Bodt, and… Jaeger.”   
I let out a short growl, “Jaeger.” Just what I needed, a home visit from the cretin himself. This wasn’t going to be the only blood split tonight. I wonder how far he could get with so few men. “Can you walk?” Erwin nodded. “Alright, Arlo help him up and get him somewhere safe. Keep your gun close. Farlan get Isabelle and my mother, get her into my study. Lock the door and do not open it until I say so.” Another clatter turned our heads toward the upper level. “Go! Now!”    
I ran up the stairs, my grip on my butterfly knife tightening. My thumb ran over the engraved wings. I expected Jaeger to bring his trademark two-toned Kimber pistol. I was not going to be caught off guard in my own home. My feet ghosted across the floor, careful to not disturb the wood as I made my way as quickly as possible down the hallway. The door to my bedroom slowly opened and my eyes scanned the room. Nothing seemed to be disturbed. I inched further into the room.    
A swift foot to the back of my ribs had me reeling forward. I stutter-stepped and turned. Meeting deep emerald eyes just above a matching devious smile. Eren Jaeger in the flesh. I launched myself towards him with no hesitation. “Bastard. I’m going to cut that smile right off your face!” I yelled and winced, I had let myself slip and found a smooth slice through my shirt and a small trickle of blood. “This is one of my favorite shirts.”   
“Guess I owe you a new one, I’ll make sure you can wear it lying in your casket.” He smirked at me, only infuriating me more.    
His smartass comments would get him nowhere. “You clearly have me mistaken for someone.”   
He cocked his head, “oh really?”   
“I’m not taken down so easily.” I ramped myself up, using my foot to push off the bench at the end of my bed. Using my body weight, I knocked Eren to the ground, my knife coming down towards his shoulder. He reacted quickly, but not quickly enough. My small frame allowed me to be swift, but Eren was broad. My knife penetrated his skin but not enough to damage anything severely.    
We landed with a loud,  _ oof,  _ against the carpet. I quickly tried to regain my control and attempted to stab him again. I threw my arm down but Eren brought his own arm up, unafraid of the knife I wielded and brought a strong forearm against my ribs. It made me bend in pain, the grip on my knife loose. He easily knocked it out of my hand, bouncing away from my reach. A closed fist cracked into my jaw, throwing me off balance, my back was now resting on the floor.

Eren loomed over me now, his hand pressed against my throat, raising my chin to look him dead in the eye. A knee pushed into my ribs, he leaned closer, putting more weight into my wound. I grit my teeth and felt a growl bubble in my chest. I wouldn’t be showing any sign of backing down now. His smile only widened, dirty satisfaction written all over his face. “It wasn’t easy getting this close to you,” Eren taunted almost breathless, long strands of brown hair sticking to his forehead. “I’ve dreamed of the day I got close enough to watch life leave your eyes.” He squeezed the sides of my throat harder, making me sputter for breath.

“Spierdalaj gówniarzu,” I spit.

“I don’t think you’re in any position to be speaking such naughty language.”

“And in front of a lady, how rude, I thought I raised you with better manners Levi.” I knew the voice right away. “Get away from my chłopczyk.” My mother spoke low, her accent thick and menacing. The light gleamed off her knife as it made a quick threatening press on Eren’s jugular vein. Eren slowly leaned back, his hands raising, a blade dropping onto the carpet.

“Of course, Miss Ackerman.”

She tucked the knife in her belt, out of sight. “Don’t you dare speak to me, I’ll have your life right here.” She jerked a handgun from Eren’s hip and retracted her blade, aiming the gun into the back of his head.

“Mamusia, I thought we had a talk about calling me that.” I scrambled out from underneath Eren. My muscles screamed in protest when I twisted to stand. The sight of Eren on his knees at the mercy of a knife was something to save for later, even if it wasn’t by my own hands. “Please don’t get lowlife blood on my bedroom carpet.” I took the gun from my mother’s hands, emptying the chamber into my hand and discarding the magazine on my mattress. I tucked the empty gun into the back of my waistband. I regained my composure, glancing down, I sighed deeply and started to remove the now ruined shirt. “Thank you mamusia, please return to the others…” I watched my mother hesitantly leave the room. “You know, it’s bad enough my own blood has stained the carpet, but you ruined the dress shirt my lovely baby sister gifted to me. What made you so intent on intruding into my home and interrupting my dinner?” I tossed the shirt to the side, my white undershirt soaked and starting to stick to my skin. I leaned down and retrieved my knife, pinwheeling the blade as I sauntered back over to Eren.

“I’m only taking back what’s mine,” Eren responded calmly.

I used the blade to tip Eren’s chin up. His face was stern but there was a glint of fear in his eyes. “I don’t have anything of yours.”

“Dreckssack! I know you have her!”

My hand twisted in his long hair and I pulled his head back until he winced in pain, “don’t you dare raise your voice with me.” I bent down, ignoring the burning in my side, and got in Eren’s face. “ _ Have who _ ?”

“My sister, Mikasa.”


	2. Truce

**Chapter Two: Truce**

_ pocałuj mnie w dupe - kiss my ass  _

_ ty drań – you ‘little shit’ _

_ fick dich – fuck you  _

_ Spierdalaj - fuck  _

**Eren**

A knife at my throat and a fist in my hair. This isn’t the first time I’ve been in this position, just in a more… lustful situation. I could smell the whiskey that wafted off his breath. I could feel his fingernails scrape against my scalp. To be fair, my plan was not thoroughly fleshed out. It was quick to action. Mikasa was one of the last bits of my blood family and there was no way in hell I was going to let this bastard hurt her.

I watched Levi’s expression change from a vicious predator to lost and confused.

“Your sister?” He furrowed his brows. His steel grey eyes staring me down, looking for any sign of insincerity. The grip in my hair loosened and my head fell forward, my hair falling with it. Levi straightened himself, “what makes you think I have your sister?”

I scowled. “Who else would have her? She’s missing, and I’m guessing you have a personal vendetta with my name on it somewhere.”

Levi eyed me for a second before casually sitting on a bench seat. He played idly with his butterfly knife. “Well I don’t have her. In fact, I made plans to kick your ass, but you interrupted me. You killed Moblit and I wasn’t going to let a third murder slide. I should’ve done it after the first, but the kid had it coming.”

“That’s cold, even for you.”

“Tch, then you don’t know me very well.”

I tested the waters and rose to stand on my feet, I tucked my hair behind my ears before letting my hands rest in the pockets of my jeans. “Am I just supposed to take your word? You don’t have my sister?”

“Why the  _ fuck  _ would I want your sister? She’s death in stilettos, she scares me almost as much as my own mother. And I haven’t gotten to that point of pissed off yet… but what I do have is your gun. If you want it back, you’re going to act like a civilized adult.”

“How much more civilized could I get?”

“ _ You shot my men _ –”

“– _ They got in my way _ .”

Levi bared his teeth, “you’re trespassing.”

I raised my hands in defeat, “okay, you got me there.”

A hand drug painfully down his face, “ty drań… I should’ve let my mother shoot you.”

“And stain the carpet?” My tongue clicking. I apparently took a step too far, he launched himself from his seat and pounded his foot into my chest. I underestimated his strength, while I would’ve taken a few steps back, I took a few  _ big  _ steps back. This wouldn’t make me lose my balance, not quite. “I thought you wanted to act like civilized adults?”

“Pocałuj mnie w dupe.”

My fists raised, “is that a threat or an offer?”

He growled and threw first. I easily knocked his fist out of the way but regretted not moving with it. His other arm came quickly and with it, his knife, slicing right across my cheek. “Be careful, you almost gave me a haircut.” Mikasa always complained to me that I should cut my hair. That it was “ _ going to get me into a shit load of trouble _ ”, but I liked it long. Made for some fun, I think she’s just jealous it’s longer than hers now.

He spoke low, “the intention was to cut off your head.”

“If only you could reach it.” Levi tried to kick me again, but I caught his foot in my hand. He frowned and twisted, using my grip to lift himself and kick me square in the jaw with his other leg. I quickly released my hold and brought my hand to my face. My skin stung, I could feel a bruise already. “You little fuck.”

He regained his composure quick, the swift bastard. I didn’t notice how close he had me to the wall until his pushed one more time and I found myself pinned. Levi balled his fist in the front of my shirt, almost pulling me down to look him in the eye, his other hand rest at his side with the knife ready. The room seemed to sway a bit. I wasn’t sure if it was from being almost stabbed and then kicked in the jaw. I glanced down and realized Levi was standing as tall as he could to get in my face, using the grip on my shirt to keep himself upright. I huffed a laugh, it was… kinda cute.

“I usually prefer softer foreplay, but you have to try everything once, right?”

Levi furrowed his brows, I used the moment to free myself. Ripping his grip from my shirt, freeing myself from the wall, and pushing him right back into it. I twisted his other arm until he lost grip on his knife and it bounced against the carpet. I pressed myself firmly against his back and spoke low in his ear. “If you want to fight someone, you might want to do it on even ground there, shorty.”

He pushed back against me, trying to hide the shiver I could clearly feel. But he was at a huge disadvantage. “What do you expect me to do about that? Wear heels?”

I chewed on my lip at the thought, “I bet your legs would look amazing in heels.”

“I could kill you in two seconds flat with a heel of a stiletto, is your life worth it?”

“To see those legs anything would be worth it.” My thigh pushed against him, playing mind games with him was more fun that I expected. I took my free hand and tucked a few strands of his hair behind his ear. “These dress pants fit nicely on you, what do I have to do to get you out of them?”

“Look you fucking brat,” his voice faltering. “I don’t want to play games with you right now. I have men that are hurt. You took the grace of cutting into me. I wouldn’t be so quick to run your mouth.”

“If you wanted me dead, you would’ve already done it.” He growled at me. “Okay, how about we call a truce for now? Act like  _ civilized adults _ ?”

“Fine.” 

I slowly backed away, releasing my hold with it. Levi seemed to sag in relief, he rubbed his wrist and glared at it. 

“Come with me,” he spoke without looking at me and walked off. I stood dumbfounded for a moment before making my legs move with him. He made further into his bedroom, turning sharply into a private bathroom. “Sit.” His voice stern as he pointed towards the bath. I did as commanded and sat quietly on the edge. Who knew two people who were seconds away from killing each other could be in the same room together and be calm? Levi stepped in front of me, a first aid kit in hand. I looked up at him and cocked my head, was he really going to clean me up? He groaned and rolled his eyes, “take your shirt off.”

I scoffed, “I’m not a bottom, don’t boss me around.”

“Will you shut the fuck up?”

“No.”

He clenched his fists and let out a deep sigh.

“The angrier you get, the cuter you get.” The back of his hand cracked across my face. It stung like fresh sunburn. “ _ Fick dich. _ ”

“Yea, I bet you fucking would.” 

The first aid kit was tossed onto the counter next to me. Levi stripped his white undershirt, his face was full of disgust and pain. Silence settled between us, no threats or heaving breaths. And the view of Levi shirtless, even from the back, a fucking dream. For being small framed he was still rigid. My eyes trailed down his back, following the curve of his spine. He lifted his arm and twisted, getting a full view of the mistake he let me have. Blood was smeared all across his ribs, most of it was soaked up by his shirts.

“You know you’re probably going to need stitches.”

“Yea, and who’s fault is that?”

Guiltily I dropped my head, “... mine-”

“-Yours…”

“Guess I should take responsibility then?”

Levi continued to dab the cotton swab around the gash, ignoring me.

“Let me help.”

His voice calm, “why would even think I trust you enough to do that?”

“Do we need a pinky promise?” I held out my fist, pinky extended. He swatted away my hand and groaned. “ _ Come on. _ I know you’re not going to make a trip to the hospital, would you rather your mom do it?” I watched his eyes go wide for a moment. “That’s what I thought, hop your ass onto the counter.”

**Levi**

The audacity Eren had to assume I would let him put his hands on me. I could barely grasp the fact that I had let him get close enough in the first place and now he was a somewhat welcomed guest in my bathroom. He had the playful attitude of a teenager,  _ pinky promise? _ Ugh, that’s almost as bad as taking someone’s word. Though the threatening idea of my mother trying to stitch me up was… unpleasant. That’s like asking a back alley doctor to give you a transplant.

“Why should I trust you though?” I asked.

“How about I tell you while we’re getting you stitched up?” Eren tapped my thigh with the back of his hand. “Come on, be a good boy and sit on the counter.”

I grinded my teeth, barely swallowing the angry words that wanted to fly from my mouth. Against all odds, I reluctantly turned and heaved myself onto the counter. “There… now before you get that needle anywhere close to my skin, tell me. Why should I trust  _ you _ ?”

Eren simply smiled at me and held up the curved needle, fresh from its packaging. “You don’t have much of a choice.” He’s going to kill me and it won’t even be on purpose this time. “No, uh, my father forced me to learn more or less. When we would have people come in hurt he’d be the one to stitch them up. I’ve been lucky myself that my father finished med school, his day job was a pediatrician… take these.” He passed me three ibuprofen, the thought of the long curve needles sliding through my flesh made my stomach twist. I filled a small cup with water from the sink and swallowed the pills immediately. 

_ Fuck. _

I forced my eyes away and focused on Eren. When we weren’t at each other’s throats, we were simply human. Eren is tall, much taller than I ever expected. His skin was perfectly sunkissed and wrapped firmly around his taut muscles. He pulled a black band from around his wrist and secured his long brown hair into a high bun, giving me a clear view of his face. I was so keen to idea of Eren having boyish looks. 

“It’s not polite to stare,” Eren spoke without looking up from the suture kit. I didn’t respond to his accusation. He huffed a laugh through his nose causing loose strands of hair to fall in front of his face. His fingers pinched the lose hair and he frowned. “I was never a fan of bangs.”

I leaned over and grabbed a small container from the shelf, “here.”

Eren looked curiously at the container before popping it open and pulling out a bobby pin. “Keep these around for your girlfriend?”

“Ah, no, for my sister Isabelle… she uses a million of them, better to keep them safely in the bathroom than being sucked up in my vacuum.” 

“So, no girlfriend then?” Eren's tone pushed. I didn't answer, there was no reason to be answering personal questions. He cocked an eyebrow at me, “alright, I get it.” The brisk silence was broken when the faucet was turned on and Eren busied himself with washing his hands.

_ Girlfriend… not for a very long time.  _ My mother tried years ago to set me up with someone. Complained that I was always “cooped up in my study like an old man”, more like my father. She introduced me to Petra. Petra was a short, beautiful blonde, with brown eyes that saw joy in everything… even me. To say that I loved the time I spent with her would be an understatement, I cared for her, I still do. However I never felt they way my mother had intended. I was honest with Petra, turns out she felt the same. To our parents, we felt obligated to give it a fair shot, but after a short time around my ‘family’, Petra found eyes for someone else. Which didn’t not break my heart even a bit. I know that she will be taken care of, even if it’s by the eccentric person I call my best friend, Hanji. They’re happy together and that’s more than I could ask for.

Warm water splashed onto my cheek, pulling me from my thoughts. “What the  _ fuck  _ Jaeger?” I yelled. I raised my hand to my face and sharply wiped the water off.

“You looked a little lost in thought, but I need antiseptic.”

“Oh,” my lowered my voice significantly. “It’s in the cabinet below me.” I pulled my feet to either side of the cabinet. Eren squatted down, eyeing inside for a moment before pulling out the bottle. He held it in his hand and looked up at me. “Yea, that’s the right one.” He continued to look up at me, his cheeks looked a bit flushed. “ _ What _ ?” I bit.

“Oh, nothing,” Eren replied in a sing-song voice. He quickly stood up and devoted his focus to sterilizing. “I was just enjoying the view,” he mumbled, I almost didn’t hear him. And as much as I wanted to crack my hand across his face again, I found myself frozen. Caught off guard. His sarcasm was easy to snap back at and yell over, but his teasing… left my head blank. “Ready?”

My mouth was completely dry, my eyes were trained on the floor.

“I will make this as painless as possible, but you have to do what I say. Thankfully you barely need them, but just to be safe. You’ll be able to take these out within, ehh, five days. Give or take.” 

I took a deep breath and nodded, this couldn’t hurt more than being shot in the thigh.

“Alright, just drape your arm around my shoulders. Don’t clench your jaw, you’ll break your teeth, and tense your muscles which will make it hurt way more. You need to breathe through it no matter how painful. Let’s make some small talk,” I eyed him and he laughed. “I promise that this will be more painful if you don’t talk.”

“Fine.” My arm reluctantly wrapped over his broad shoulders. His toned muscle only a thin cotton t-shirt away from my bare hand. This was going to be less than optimal. “So… what do you intend to talk about?”

Eren wet a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide, “I won’t be talking, you will. It’ll help you keep your mind… and hopefully your  _ eyes _ , off what I’m doing.” He laid a gentle hand just below the cut, causing my muscles to lurch at the sudden contact. A small whoosh of breath slipped through my teeth before I could snap my mouth shut. His hand was warm, and quite large compared to me. “Sorry,” his apology was sincere but the smile on his face told me he was amused. 

I grit my teeth as the peroxide bubbled, the sting was easily bearable. “I never imagined myself in this position.”

“I can assure you that I’ve imagined you-” 

I smacked the back of his head, “don’t even finish that thought.”

Eren obeyed and continued to clean my wound in silence. The stinging faded, the cotton ball becoming a cold wet nuisance. “You’re clean, now comes the worst of it.” I saw him pick up the long curved needle, threaded and ready. My hand instinctively gripped at his shoulder. I’m sure my nails were leaving imprints in his skin. “I haven’t even started yet, don’t look, I don’t need you passing out… your mother seems like, uh, what did you say earlier about my sister?”

“She’s death in stilettos.”

“Yea, exactly. Pretty intimidating.” 

“Where do you think I get it from?”

Eren scoffed, “says the man who can’t stand the sight of a needle.”

I groaned, he was unfortunately right.

“Take a deep breath… tell me about your family.”

I grit my teeth at the sharp pinch in my side, Eren’s hand flattening across my bare chest. “Is there any reason to be touching me like that?”

“Balance, mostly, but you seem like you need a bit of reassurance. Plus, if I say no then you’ll hit me again.”

It was tempting. I pulled my attention away from the impending pinch and the hand splayed so easily on my skin. I tried to loosen my grip on Eren’s shoulder, tightening my muscles was making it more painful. “There’s my mother, who you’ve met. She taught me all that I needed to know. Like- _ spierdalaj, ow _ -uh, how to kill a man with the heel of a shoe. Best places to hide a knife, she’s the one who gave me the knife I cut you with. It was my father’s, engraved with our family crest and his initials above it, my mother’s initials below it. Then there’s my younger sister Isabelle. She tends to get on my nerves, loud and bubbly. Great aim though, even with the bursting energy, she’s the best sniper I’ve had on my team.”

“What about your father?” Eren asked.

“He passed away.”

I felt Eren’s shoulders slump, “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head, “don’t apologize… he died protecting us. My parents, they were in love. I don’t remember enough about him from my childhood, the older I get the less I remember. But the stories my mother tells me… she uh, she gets this look in her eyes. She gets it when she looks at me too, I have his eyes apparently.” 

Eren looked directly at me with a small smile and I suddenly felt even more self conscious. “My mom tells me the same thing… well you’re all stitched up.” 

I glanced down and eyed my now closed wound. It was clean, red and inflamed and irritated, but the stitch was near perfect. My protests were for nothing. If I admitted that it would only feed into Eren’s ego.

“You can let go.” Eren’s face was much closer than I remember, forcing me to make dead eye contact.

“Huh?”

He smirked, “my shoulder and your hand. You can let go.”

I immediately released my grip, “thanks.” My side throbbed and burned, the worst part was always the healing process. I slid off the counter. My feet hit the floor with a soft thump and I was again chest high to Eren. 

“It’s really not a problem, I’ve done it more time than I can count. However, I don’t recall the nail imprints, that’s a new one.” He rubbed his shoulder and pouted his lip, his green eyes casted down at the floor. 

I rolled my eyes, “what do you want? An apology? Because you’re not getting one, especially when you’re a mess. It’s disgusting.”

He quickly looked up and leaned towards the mirror. His hand gently poked at the cut on his cheek, breath hissed through his teeth. I hadn’t cut him deep enough to need any real stitches, but bandage stitches couldn’t hurt. There would be a light scar, at least for a few months. I resisted the smile that pulled at the edges of my mouth. Serves him right for breaking into my home and trying to kill me over something I didn’t even do. Blood had been smeared across his face, it continued to drip slowly down his cheek, where it dripped from his chin onto his shirt.

“Eren, for fucks sake, please take that disgusting shirt off.”

“While we’re alone in your bathroom?” He gasped, “scandalous.”

I glared, “do you ever think before you speak?”

He looked at the ceiling thoughtfully for a second, “mmm only on occasion.” 

This boy was taking every ounce of patience I had to not kill him where he stood. “Just take it off and sit down, or I’m going to be cleaning up more than a little cut.” He shrugged and pulled his shirt off. He only seems to take orders when he’s being threatened. What a pain in the ass. I scooped up the first aid box and pulled out a clean cotton ball. “I hope this hurts,” I said soaking it slightly with hydrogen peroxide. Eren sat silent, to my surprise. “You uh, you had said your father was a doctor, what about the rest of your family?”

Eren eyed me, “trying to make small talk?”

“It’s only fair since your forced me to do it.”

“My mother was also a pediatrician, that’s how she and my father met. They both have a love for kids, which is why they do what they do. It's how we found my sister.”

I pulled back, “is she not your biological sister?”

He smiled but I saw it quickly fade, “no, she's my adoptive sister. CPS brought Mikasa to my dad because she needed a physical done, my mom came to give him lunch or something and she fell in love. It was hard getting everything in order to adopt her but they were determined.” He looked off in another world but… sad. “I feel like I'm failing as an older brother right now.”

My chest ached for him. “Why is that?” I asked without thinking.

He looked up at me with slight surprise, “uh… well because I couldn't protect her. I don't know where she is or if she's hurt. It's driving me insane.”

I rested my hand on top of his head and rubbed small, gentle, circles on the edge of his hairline with my thumb. “You broke into my house and put a knife to my throat, you're not failing. You're trying, you'll find her. Mikasa is strong, just like you, she'll be fine.”

We stared at each other in silence for a good minute before Eren spoke.

“Didn’t take you for a softy.”

“That’s it, get out of my house.”


	3. Unconventional Invitation

**Chapter 3: Unconventional Invitation**

**Levi**

It had been days since my encounter with Eren. My stitches came out clean, there will definitely be permanent scarring, another one to add to the list. Things were… quiet. Oddly quiet. Which was fine, it should be fine. Yet there was this awful pinch in the back of my head. I had no reason to contact Eren, no reason to reach out to him, casual conversation was not my strong suit and not something I wanted right now. But, that pinch, it pushed at me. It made me… want to know how he was doing. Had he found his sister?

I threw my pen onto my desk in frustration, “dammit.”

And like a stroke of luck, there was a knock at my door.

“Come in.” 

Isabelle barely poked her head in, just enough to make eye contact with me. “You have a visitor.” Something hinted in her voice.

“Visitor?” Before I could protest more, she slipped away. Leaving me with a dumb look on my face and a million questions. I came out from behind my desk and moved for the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone, I really hope it isn’t another blind date from my mother. I whipped the door open and bumped right into my ‘visitor’. My face colliding with their chest, my hands instinctively raised and latched onto the nearest solid object, which happened to be the grey hoodie. My fingers dug into the fabric and a pair of hands caught my waist and helped balance me out.

“Sorry.”

Of course. Of course when I’m sitting in my study pining over Eren and wondering about Eren, my ‘visitor’... is Eren. He looked down at me with sad eyes and his voice was so soft. Maybe I was right to be worry for him?

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” I loosened my grip on his shirt, “why don’t we go into my study?” His arms hesitated, but soon dropped back to his sides, hands buried in the center pocket. I gestured with my arm for him to step inside and followed closely behind. I locked the door behind us. I didn’t need someone interrupting. I leaned back against the front of my desk, “thank you for using the front door this time.” Eren didn’t respond, he stared aimlessly at my bookshelf. “So, why the surprise visit?”

“I got an invitation.” He said flatly. He pulled an envelope out of the back pocket of his jeans and handed it to me. I eyed the manilla paper in my hands, “open it.” 

I slowly unfold the paper.

You (and guest) are formally invited to an evening banquet.

Please join us in celebrating community. 

7 P.M. , December 17th

Formal black tie attire, Bring invitation for entry

You’re sister would love to see you in attendance

I was at a complete loss for words. The invitation was standard and printed, but the handwritten personal note at the bottom threw me off. I didn’t recognize it and there was no return address on the envelope. Who could this possibly be from? I haven’t felt this clueless since I was a child.

I cleared my throat, “what can I do for you?”

Eren’s shoulders seemed to slump more, his head dropped to the floor. “I’m not sure… I feel kind of lost.”

I didn’t admit to him that I felt the same way. I swallowed through my dry throat and spoke, “why don’t we sit?” I gestured at the small loveseat and let Eren get comfortable before taking a seat beside him. This was a lot to take in all at once, it wasn’t even my family, but I felt a burning need to help. Someone was powerful enough to kidnap Mikasa, the one woman that scares me more than my mother, and left both Eren and I clueless. “When did you get this?”

“Not long ago, it was left on my doorstep.” Eren’s voice was so flat. This was nothing like the other night, he was being pushed to his breaking point. I wonder how much longer he could handle being helpless before he completely broke. 

I rested my hand gently on his knee, causing him to raise his head and look me in the eye. “Let me help.”

***

I'm thankful that I had called the best of my team home, even though now we had a different target. Breaking the news was a bit odd. The air tends to be stiff when you walk into the room with your enemy right by your side. Everyones body visibly stiffened. Hanji sat more forward on the couch and laid an arm over Petra's lap as if to shield her. Isabelle side stepped in front of our mother, while Farlan and Arlo straightened up. My mother seemed to be the only one unphased by Eren's sudden appearance.

I raised my hands, “don't say anything don't do anything, just let me talk… Eren needs our help.”

“Needs our help? He's killed our men in cold blood and about killed me last night!” Erwin's deep voice echoed off the walls.

I glared at him, “you think I don't know that? I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think if it was worth the effort.” I took a deep breath before speaking again, “there is someone out there that is a threat to all of us. This is not up for discussion.” I didn’t leave room for anyone to argue and left.

**Eren**

I followed Levi away, his walk was brisk and almost hard to keep up with, even with my long legs. He made a sharp turn up the stairs, taking two at a time. I caught the door to his bedroom before it clicked shut. He had marched over to the farthest wall, a window stared out into the overcasted neighborhood. I wouldn’t doubt that he noticed my presence behind him. I let the door close behind me but made no movement further into his room.

There was everything and nothing to say, so I said, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he responded without missing a beat. His demeanor was stone cold and serious. Almost a mirror image from the night we fought in this room, just not directed at me. “I don’t know how well you paid attention to the invitation but the party is an eight hour train ride from here. My mother has a house out there, it’s mostly used for her to get out of the city, but I’m sure she’d let us camp there and prepare for this… endeavor.” He looked at me from over his shoulder, “I suggest you go home and prepare. Bring back your team, we’ll discuss final plans for tonight in a few hours… be prepared to leave.”

I returned home without question, still holding the same lost look I left with. The front door shut quietly behind me, my back slumped against it and I sighed. I knew that once I took charge that I wouldn’t get breaks, I was fine with that, small trivial things were fine and easy to deal with. This isn’t the first time I’ve been lost on what to do about an issue, but I felt truly helpless at the moment. Mikasa was one of the most important people in my life and I’m not out kicking someone’s ass like I should be. I’ve done all I could for now and it still doesn’t feel like enough. I put both of our lives into Levi’s hands, the man I tried to kill, the man who tried to kill me… what a life.

I pulled my gaze from the floor to find a pair of blue eyes staring me down. “Where have you been?” Armin asked like a furious mother. He sounded as if he just caught me sneaking back in at 4 a.m. drunk off my ass.

I straightened myself, not about to be scolded in my own home. “I was out doing what I had to.”

“And that is?”

“I was getting help.”

“And you couldn’t have told anyone, any of us, where you were going? We all thought you had gone on a suicide mission by yourself!”

I pushed past him, “you’re not my mom Armin.”

He quickly reached out and grabbed my bicep, “no, I’m not. But you’re my best friend and I care about you. You don’t think I’m not upset about Mikasa either?” 

I glared down at him.

“I love you both,” he sighed, “don’t leave me in the dark.”

“I’m sorry… this is no excuse for me to be such a dick.” I rested my hand over his, “I’m really sorry Armin.”

He punched me in the shoulder, “you better be! Now what the hell were you up to?”

I avoided his question for the moment, pushing into the kitchen and diving straight for the fridge. “I was, uh, getting help.” 

Armin leaned against the fridge with his eyebrows raised, “I know that… help from who?”

“Levi.”

“Yea right. Seriously who was it?”

I raised my hands.

“You didn’t!”

“I did.”

“No!”

“ _ Yea _ .”

“ _ Why _ ?” He hissed.

“ _ Because I had to. _ ” We stared at each other, not blinking, with the straightest poker face we could manage. “You think I wanted to? I'm who everyone here looks up to and I had to cave and ask my enemy for help.”

Armin crossed his arms over his chest, “I can't believe you.”

I huffed and looked away from him, I didn't need his ridicule.

“But… I'm proud of you.”

My eyes snapped back up.

“I'm proud of you for letting go of your macho man ego and asking for help, especially from him.”

“Thank you,” I turned from him and started walking away again. “I’m not always stupid,” I muttered under my breath.

Armin yelled back at me, “I never said you were stupid!”

Just like that, I was back at Levi’s home for the second time today. Armin, Ymir, and Marco joined me. I stood awkwardly at his front door with them wandering behind me. Why couldn’t I knock? I asked for his help and he was giving it to me without question. Maybe that’s why. Armin always said I was, and I quote, a “stubborn asshole who wouldn’t even ask for help if my leg got stuck in a bear trap”. I think he’s secretly hoping I get caught in a bear trap so that when I ask him for help that he can say no and laugh at me.

Marco slapped a hard hand down on my shoulder, “what seems to be the problem bud? Someone tie your bun too tight?” 

“Fuck off Marco, nothing’s wrong.”

“Then why are we just standing here?” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “knock.”

I wanted nothing more than to turn around and deck him square in the jaw, instead I knocked. Definitely not hard enough but the door still opened. The same girl from earlier answered again, her bouncy red curls no longer uncontrollably cascading, instead they were pulled into a tight round bun. She traded her jeans and baggy t-shirt for a white short sleeved blouse tucked into high waisted dress pants.

When her gaze met mine her smiled widened, “it’s you! Oh, and friends, how exciting! Please come in!” She pulled the door wide open and gestured for us to enter. Shouts came from farther in the house, we followed them into the kitchen, I recognized a few faces from earlier. Isabelle looked a bit sheepish, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. “Family, right?”

A boy with short, spiked blonde hair was almost nose-to-nose with Levi. “You can’t just go alone!”

Levi shouted right back, “I don’t remember asking for your permission Jean!”

“And I don't remember you being such a prick!”

I cleared my throat, receiving two glares in return. “Sorry to interrupt but I think we have some catching up to do.”

Levi quickly took over the room, all eyes were on him. “Since we don't have proper blueprints or knowledge of this estate, we're taking in a small team. Especially since Eren is going to be expected. However, I am not… it will be Eren, Armin, Jean, and myself. I expect that they have eyes on Eren, the four of us will leave for my mother's house tonight and reside there until the rest of you can join us. I have errands for you all to run for me and I will need you at the other house the night of the party. For now, I will make you each a list of things to do before then.” Levi turned from us and walked towards his study. “Be polite and introduce yourselves, I'll be back in a moment.”

Isabelle seemed to be the only one who was buzzing with excitement, but maybe she was always like this from what I've heard. She stares expectantly at the others but they don't budge. “Fine.” She huffs. “Guess I'll do it… I'm Isabelle, only Levi is allowed to call me Iz so watch it or I'll put a bullet between your eyes. Since you'll have to be cooped up with him, this is Jean. He's our driver and car extraordinaire.”

Armin elbowed me gently, he stared straight ahead but clearly needed my attention. I leaned down as inconspicuously as possible. “What's wrong?” I whispered. 

Armin choked on his breath. “Can we keep him?”

“Who? Jean?”

He nodded.

“I don't think Levi would like that.”

Isabelle carried on, not noticing our side conversation. “This big hunk is Erwin, those two canoodling are Hanji and Petra. And this is my mother Kuchel.”

“Mm, we've met previously.” Kuchel looked at me with a lopsided smile, she didn't seem entirely displeased that I was now an invited guest in her home. “Thank you for using our front door this time.”

“My deepest apologies Mrs.-” I held my hand out, palm up.

Kuchel rested her hand in mine, “Ackerman.”

I took a knee, “Mrs. Ackerman, I hope in time that you will be able to forgive my indiscretions.” I made my facial expression as soft as possible, hoping I sounded genuine, and kissed the top of her knuckles.

Her face broke and she giggled, “oh you're such a cheeser, your mother raised you right. I will look past it for now, but you hurt my chłopczyk again and my carpets will be stained with your blood.”

“Ooh man, she’s just like your mom.” Ymir finally chimed in, “I would pay money to see her rip you apart.”

“Double that sis,” Marco barked.


End file.
